Samsung wants to take on both the MacBook Air and the Surface Pro 4
Samsung has recently unveiled three devices designed to follow the path set forth by Microsoft and Apple.
The Book 9 comes in two screen sizes, 13 inches and 15 inches, and is about to hit the market as the lightest notebook in the world, weighing in at 1.85 pounds in its 13 inch incarnation, which is even lighter than the 12 inch Apple MacBook Retina.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Howley
“I’ve held empty dinner plates that feel heavier than this laptop.” technology reporter Daniel Howley commented after attending the unveiling.
The Book 9 is 0.01 inch thicker than the 12 inch MacBook, with a magnesium body that feels solid and light.
The display on the 13 inch version of the Book 9 provides for a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This laptop is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of solid state storage.Two USB ports, a micro-HDMI, a mini-Ethernet and a mini-VGA are the connectivity options available. A 3-in-1 media card reader has also been included in the design.
The 15 inch version of the Book 9 is a little heavier, at 2.84 pounds and comes with a USB Type-C port.
While there is no updates on pricing, the Book 9 is expected to be officially released soon, as other manufacturers of Windows 10 laptops are gearing towards an increasingly thin and light form factor.
Samsung TabPro S
Between the iPad Pro, and the Surface Pro, there are only so many permutations and combinations of the words Tab and Pro, so TabPro S was most definitely ready to surface at some point.
This new 12 inch tablet PC, running Windows 10, is the first ever to sport a Super AMOLED display, which seems to pay off in color quality and brilliance.
Like the Book 9, the TabPro S’s body is built in magnesium alloy. This new tablet also comes with a keyboard. With that said, the keyboard included with this device is most definitely not on par with either Microsoft Surface Keyboard or Apple Smart Keyboard. The first impression on this keyboard is that is rather stiff, with some keys failing to properly register keystrokes. Another issue, which will likely be fixed upon the official launch, is the two-stage hinge, feeling a bit weak during usage.
The TabPro S is powered by an Intel Core M CPU, and comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage, which is plenty for word processing and light web browsing, on par with an entry level Chromebook, or comparable netbook. The emphasis is obviously on the form factor, rather than specs. The fanless design of this device does not allow for higher-level operations, which makes this device hardly a Microsoft Surface Pro competitor. With that said, it’s a form factor that is already catching on, and we are sure to see more of it.